


Lip Gloss Serenade

by floraltohru



Category: Fruits Basket, Fruits Basket (Anime 2019), Fruits Basket - Takaya Natsuki (Manga)
Genre: Crushes, F/F, Pining, Student Council, as a treat, you can have a little background yukeru
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:27:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24171289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/floraltohru/pseuds/floraltohru
Summary: Machi has a crush.-----"You don't hang out much with other girls," Machi notes. It’s not a judgment; Machi herself doesn’t hang out much with other people in general."Other girls don't like Kimi," Kimi says simply, tossing her dark hair over her shoulder as she shrugs."I like you," Machi tells her."Yeah, well, you're not other girls.” Kimi shrugs and steps into her next class, leaving Machi in the hallway trying not to combust.
Relationships: Kuragi Machi/Toudou Kimi
Comments: 9
Kudos: 37





	Lip Gloss Serenade

Student council team bonding is a joint collaboration gleefully and chaotically masterminded by Kimi and Kakeru, much to the chagrin of the other three members. 

“Dinner and a movie after school tomorrow,” Kakeru announces as they wrap up their meeting. He throws an arm around an unwitting Yuki, nearly toppling him over. “And don’t think you can skip just because you’re the president, Yun-Yun.” 

“Kimi already made reservations!” Kimi chirps. “We’re getting soba!” 

“You don’t need reservations to get soba,” Nao says, frowning at her. 

“You don’t have to come!” she croons, and the cheer in her voice doesn’t waver a single decibel. 

“Yes he does!” Kakeru protests, peeling himself off Yuki to cling to Nao. “Join us, Chibi-Suke!” 

“Get off!” 

The bell rings and the group disperses, leaving the student council room in darkness for the day. 

“You should come over beforehand. We’ll get all dressed up, and you can spend the night after,” Kimi tells Machi as they walk back to class. 

“I’ve never had a sleepover before,” Machi says, feeling strange just wrapping her tongue around the word. 

“Neither have I,” Kimi says. “We’ll learn together!” 

"You don't hang out much with other girls," Machi notes. It’s not a judgment; Machi herself doesn’t hang out much with other people in general. 

"Other girls don't like Kimi," Kimi says simply, tossing her dark hair over her shoulder as she shrugs. 

"I like you," Machi tells her. 

"Yeah, well, you're not other girls.” Kimi shrugs and steps into her next class, leaving Machi in the hallway trying not to combust. 

"Sorry I didn't make my bed," Kimi says, tossing her school bag into a sea of rumpled sheets. 

Machi bites her lip to keep from thanking her. “It’s fine.” She perches tentatively on the edge of Kimi’s bed, watching as Kimi appraises her closet.

“I have nothing to wear.” Machi doesn’t think this is true, strictly speaking. Kimi’s closet is brimming with clothes, her school attire taking up only a small sliver. “Oh, do you want to borrow something?” Kimi asks, pulling out a shimmery sleeve to appraise it. 

Machi looks down at her wrinkled uniform skirt. “Sure.” 

Kimi turns around to study Machi for a moment, then rifles around in her closet. “I think this will look good on you,” she says, tossing her a dusty rose top. It’s surprisingly unassuming for Kimi. 

Kimi swoops in on her when Machi emerges from the adjoining bathroom, her school clothes now a heap in her arms. “I was right,” she says solemnly. “It’s your color. You need a necklace, though.” 

And Machi is starting to understand how Cinderella felt being fussed over by a fairy godmother when Kimi brushes her hair out of the way to fasten a simple silver chain around Machi’s neck. 

For a minute, Machi forgets to breathe. 

“Now help me with mine,” Kimi says, handing Machi her own necklace. Her fingers feel electrified where they brush over the pale skin of Kimi’s neck. 

“You look nice,” Machi tells her. 

“Thanks! Oh!” Kimi whips around as soon as the necklace is fastened, her eyes glinting devilishly. “Machi,” she says seriously, putting a hand on each of Machi’s shoulders. “Can I do your makeup?” 

“Um.” 

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Kimi says. “But I think it would be fun.” 

“Sure. Yeah, okay.” 

Kimi claps her hands together and snags her makeup bag from her vanity. Her touch is feather-light on Machi’s skin. “God,” she murmurs. “You have such nice bone structure.” 

“Thanks?” Kimi hums in response as she dabs blush onto Machi’s cheeks and eyeshadow onto her eyelids. 

“Almost done. Open your eyes so I can put some mascara on you.” And Machi is a bit worried at how chipper Kimi sounds when she adds, “I promise I won’t stab you in the eyeball.”  
Machi huffs a quiet laugh, careful not to move much in such a precarious position. 

"Now you need some lip gloss," Kimi says. She puckers her lips in a pout. "Want some of mine?" 

Machi doesn’t even have a chance to stutter out a response before Kimi throws her head back in a laugh. “Just kidding! Here.” She pulls out the tube and dabs it onto Machi’s lips with a focus like she’s performing brain surgery and not a simple makeup application. “Perfect,” she breathes. 

“Thanks.” 

Kimi pulls Machi to her feet, positioning her in front of the vanity to see the finished product. “We look so cute,” she lilts. “We have to take a picture!” 

Draping her arms easily over Machi’s shoulders, Kimi angles her phone camera to capture the two of them in her mirror. Machi is thankful that the shimmery pink tint Kimi dusted over her cheekbones disguises her natural blush. “Smile!” Kimi beams and Machi does her best. Kimi throws up her fingers in a peace sign and Machi follows suit. Kimi pecks her on the cheek, leaving a faint smudge of lip gloss, and Machi turns a whole new shade of red. 

“Cute,” Kimi says, her nose wrinkling adorably as she reviews their photos. “What do you think of this filter?” she asks, flipping her phone around so Machi can see. 

“It looks good,” Machi manages. 

Kimi murmurs in agreement, tapping out a caption - no doubt laden with emojis - and posting it. “Ready to go?” 

People are starting to stare. Kimi and Kakeru are taking turns teasing Nao, who’s growing increasingly agitated, his fist coming dangerously close to knocking his soup bowl to the ground when he slams it on the table. Machi eyes the waitstaff anxiously, praying they don’t take notice of the sudden increase in volume and ask the student council to leave. 

“They’re ridiculous,” Yuki says evenly, but he has to smother a smile behind his glass of water. 

Machi hopes she doesn’t look as lovesick as Yuki does. She fears she might. 

“Yeah,” she says. “Ridiculous.” 

Nao takes off down the street as soon as the movie is over, tossing a throwaway wave over his shoulder in lieu of a goodbye. Machi thinks it was a nice surprise he came at all. 

“Hey,” Kakeru says to Machi outside the theatre as Kimi offers Yuki an animated analysis of her favorite scene. “Text me when you get home, okay?” 

“Oh, I’m actually going to Kimi’s,” she says, trying to keep her voice steady. 

He studies her for a moment, then breaks into a wide grin, clapping her on the shoulder. “Nice!” 

“Shut up,” Machi grumbles, punching him in the arm. 

“That hurt,” Kakeru says. “Look, you don’t have to beat me up just because-” 

Machi shuts him up with a hand over his mouth. “I’m going to kill you and make it look like an accident,” she hisses. She lets him go when he licks her hand. “You’re gross.”

“I love you too,” he says, throwing an arm around her. 

“Get off.” 

“Leave Machi alone,” Yuki chastises, and Kakeru seizes the opportunity to tangle his arms around Yuki instead. Yuki rolls his eyes, but doesn’t try to shake him off. 

“Bye girls,” Kakeru says, infusing his tone with every last ounce of brotherly concern. “Be good.” He keeps his arm around Yuki as they head off into the evening. 

Kimi waves at the two boys as they leave, then laces their fingers together and tugs Machi gently back in the direction of her house. 

Kimi doesn’t hold hands like it's a heart attack or a revelation. Machi clings to her like it's both and hopes Kimi doesn't notice when her palms sweat. 

They stay like that until Kimi unlocks her front door, ushering Machi inside.

Before they left for dinner, Kimi's face was makeup tutorial perfect, crisp lines and clean edges. Now that they’re back in the dim light of her bedroom, her eyeliner has smudged into something smoky and her beaming highlight has worn away. 

When Kimi flops down onto her bed, a strand of dark hair catches in her pink lip gloss. Machi leaves it there when she kisses her. 

“I like you, Machi,” Kimi says when they pull apart, peppering Machi’s cheeks with tiny pecks. 

“I like you too,” Machi says. She blushes and buries her face in Kimi’s neck, hands clinging to her sparkly top. Kimi smells like strawberries and cream and Machi thinks she could die happy like this. 

Kimi is, in fact, capable of being quiet. When she's asleep. This is a revelation too. 

Machi stays awake until the sun rises over the horizon, bathing the room in a warm pink glow.

**Author's Note:**

> i'm @floraltohru on tumblr come hang out with me


End file.
